FAQ zig-zag?

[imported_ef666ef]

In the ”HST FAQ” topic ”Zig-zagging or undulating loads” there is a post “Why not set up the cycle by starting at your 5RM, and then working backwards in 5% increments?” which is answered with

Quote[/b] ]”Starting at your 5RM and working backwards is essentially what people do when they try to avoid zigzagging the weight as they work their way along. The only problem you run into is not knowing how many reps to use each workout. You will have to guess how many reps is good for whatever weight you are using that day.

Then you will be tempted to use "instinctive training", which dictates that you do whatever number of reps or sets and exercises you feel like doing that day. Its kind of a slippery slope...Pretty soon you will be training "instinctively" all the time. Unfortunately, your muscle tissue doesn't have instincts, nor does it communicate to our brains concerning its hypertrophic activity. It only communicates fatigue and/or pain...both being neurological factors.”

But the assumption that ”You will have to guess how many reps is good for whatever weight you are using that day” is somewhat strange. You could instead use the same scientifically approach that the HST concept has used before, and just calculate it in advance. For the first 6 weeks there are 18 workouts (3 workouts/week). Going from 15 reps to 5 reps during those 18 workouts would result in approximately 1 rep decrease every second workout. Now do the same calculation with the weights and your training schedule is complete without any guessing at all. For example:

1. Find your 15RM (60 lbs for example)
2. Find your 5 RM (100 lbs for example)
3. Distribute the difference (40 lbs) over the 18 workouts (approximately 2.2 lbs increase/workout) in sufficient steps

Result:
Workout Weight Reps
1: 60 15
2: 60 15
3: 65 14
4: 65 14
etc
15: 90 6
16: 90 6
17: 100 5
18: 100 5

What do you think?

 

[imported_dkm1987]

Some have done this and just about anything else to keep from zig zagging or to make it more personalized.

I still say and will continue to say it's not the mode of progression itself that matters, it's the progression. So if you are more comfortable with this progression plan and can stick with it, do it.